Conte is expected to be named head coach of the Blues in the summer, with a deal lined up for the end of the European Championships this summer.

Conte will obviously want to put his spin on the team, and he will look to utilise the summer transfer window when he arrives at Stamford Bridge.

A host of players have been linked with the Blues already, but the TMW report claims that Giaccherini is the player he wants as his first signing in West London.

Conte has a keen knowledge of Serie A, and Giaccherini is currently on loan at Bologna from Premier League side Sunderland.

The 30-year-old has scored six goals in 19 games this term, and his form has captured the imagination of Conte.

Able to play on the wing and as a central attacking midfielder, Giaccherini would be arriving at Chelsea in a position which is already well stocked, but clearly Conte has seen something from his kinsman to suggest he could be a star.

Simone Zaza of Juventus is also named in the report as being a target for Conte, with the boss hoping to bring a new striker to Chelsea in the summer.

Billy Hawkins

Billy is a freelance writer who contributes to various sites concerning football. Known to possess an obsession with statistics, Eastern European club sides, and Victorian football, he focuses upon the untapped potential of the Football League in the belief it is more enjoyable than the Premier League.